With the outdoor cooking season at hand, our thoughts turn to delicious grilled foods prepared on the barbecue. But what if you let your imagination run wild, and envisioned a full outdoor kitchen setup that allowed for feasts of all kinds?
Peter Briese and his team at Muskoka BBQ and Outdoor Kitchen Centre love nothing more than helping clients to make those fantasies come true, with custom-designed outdoor spaces and the high-quality appliances needed to make it all happen.
In addition to their brick-and-mortar shop in Port Carling, Muskoka BBQ offers clients a design centre with eight sample kitchens on site. This appointment-only opportunity is the first stop for many builders, architects, landscapers, and contractors wanting an in-person look at the possibilities they can offer their own end-user clients.
“Being able to see and touch and really experience what we offer is even better than simply looking at photos online,” says owner Peter. “We have two fully operational kitchens on site. That gives us an opportunity to provide hands-on education about the products and personalized service.”
Education is a very important component of the design process when it comes to outdoor kitchens. Peter is invested in post-sale guidance when it comes to getting the most out of the outdoor cooking experience. And while he won’t be cooking full dinners on demand, he does love showing people how to work magic in their own kitchen spaces.
Designed for chefs
The newest kitchen set-up at the design centre features the Crown Verity Infinite series of modular propane grills, a flat top griddle, and a fabulous open-flame Argentinian grill. Recently, Crown Verity’s corporate chef visited the demo kitchen and prepared a flavour-packed meal worthy of a Michelin star.
As soon as you step into the new design centre kitchen space, you see what’s possible. The granite patio, well-appointed furniture, dining table and ambient fire features were all carefully chosen to show visitors the kind of space their own outdoor kitchen can be: an area where friends and family want to spend afternoons or evenings.
The Dekton waterfall countertops and powder-coat finished Crown Verity appliances generate a vibe that’s peaceful and elegant, but also highly functional. Whether preparing brunch, lunch, cocktail appetizers or a full dinner, the design is built around client needs.
“I’m very committed to making sure that once the kitchen is installed, our customers feel confident using the grills and making the most of their unique spaces,” Peter explains as we tour the new kitchen.
Multiple fuel options
We pause our tour to admire the Alchemy Pro, a compact but versatile grill and smoker combo that people really love to include in their design plans. Powered by wood and charcoal, it offers an upper grill area of 323 square inches, a smoker, upper plancha cooking area and central diamond grill for a total cooking area of 1,970 square inches. This dynamic appliance allows for high heat sears and low and slow smoking simultaneously, making it a truly versatile option for outdoor entertaining.
“It’s one of the things I love most,” Pete says of showing a client how to operate gear like the Alchemy Pro to best advantage. “When someone feels confident with the full range of possibilities, I’ve done my part. Our service does not stop once the sale is made.”
The design process begins when the client visits the Design Centre. It’s here that Peter learns about what exactly the needs of the outdoor kitchen will be. What types of food will be prepared? Is the space being used for entertaining larger groups as well as immediate family? Asking questions and really tailoring the answers to an ultimate design is a superpower the Muskoka BBQ team has offered since 2015.
From this initial consult to design and on to assembly, installation and equipment maintenance, personal service takes the lead here. Chatting with Peter, there’s no overlooking his passion for what he does. An avid cook himself, he lives the lifestyle featured at his business.
The Design Centre is one of those places you must experience for yourself to truly appreciate. And because it’s appointment-only, you can look forward to having the full attention of Peter and his dedicated team. Then all you need to do is start anticipating the fabulous meals to come.
TEXT MARNIE WOODROW
PHOTOS SCOTT TURNBULL
